Display device



May 7, 1929. J. -E. JOHNSON 1,711,790

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Feb. e, 1928 Q Sheets-Sheet 1 I VENTOR riv y 1929. J. E. JOHNSON 1,711,790

DISPLAY DEVICE 4 Filed Feb. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ywm WM M [/14 ATTORNEY Patented May 7, 1929.

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JOSEPH E. JOHNSON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

PATENTOFFI E.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

Application filed February 6*, 1928. Serial No. 252,189.

My invention relates to in'iprovements in display devices. It is lmrticularly well adapted for displaying representations of moving Vehicles, such as representations of trains traveling on different tracks around a common axis.

A further object of my invention is the provision of novel display members arranged to be mounted one above the other and revoluble on a common axis at differentiates of speed and in different directions.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a plurality of display members arranged to be independently removably mounted on different rotary supports disposed one; above the other androtatable on a common axis. 1

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side View, partly broken away,

. partly in elevation, and partly in vertical section of my improved display device pro vided with display members having representations of trains traveling on different. tracks one above the other.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section 011 the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a portion of what is shown in Fig. 1, shown partly in elevation and partly in central vertical section.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the'different views.

1 designates the body of a casing, having a closed top 2 and a bottom 3 which supports a bearing 4 in which is rotatably mounted the lower end of a vertical shaft 5, having fastened to it a worm wheel 6 which meshes with a worm 7 mounted on the armature shaft 8 of an electric motor 9 mounted on the bottom 3. I

Theupper portion of the shaft 5 extends through the top 2 and is mounted in the horizontal arms 10 and 11 of two supporting bars 12 and 13, the lower ends of the latter being fastened to the periphery of the body 1 of the casing. A curved bracing plate 14 may connect the bars 12 and 13, as shown.

A spur gear wheel 15 is fastened to the shaft 5 above the worm wheel 6, and meshes with a spur gear wheel 16 fastened to a vertical shaft 17 rotatable in two angle bars 18 and 19. fastened one above the other to a bar 20, the lower end of which is fastened to the bottom'3, Fig. 1.

Telescopically mounted on the shaft 5, and rotatable thereon and resting on the gear wheel 15 is atubular shaft 21, above the upper end of which projects the shaft 5. Fastened to the shaft 21 above the gear wheel 15 is a spur gear wheel 22 which meshes with and is driven by a spur gear wheel 23 fastened to the shaft 17 below the bar 18 in which the shaft 21 is rotatably mounted.

Resting on the bar 18 is the lower end of a tubular shaft 24 which is rotatable on the shaft 21 which projects above the upper end of the shaft 24, Fig. 4. Fastened to and arranged to rotate the shaft 24 is a spur gear wheel 25. which meshes with and is driven by a spur gear wheel 26, which is fastened to a vertical shaft 27, the upper and lower ends of which are rotatably supported in the upper and lower arms 28 and 29 of a U-shaped support 30, which is fastened to a Vertical curved plate 31, which is fastened to and supported by the bar 20.

For driving the shaft 27, it has fastened to it a spur gear wheel 32, Fig. 1, which meshes with and is driven by a spur gear wheel 33 fastened to the shaft 17.

Rotatable on the shaft 24 i s a tubular shaft 34 above the upper end of which projects the shaft 24, 4, the lower end of the shaft 34 resting on the spur gear wheel 25, Fig. 1.

Fastened to and arranged to rotate the shaft 34 is a spur gear wheel 35, which meshes with and is driven by a spur gear wheel 36 fastened to the shaft 27. The shaft 34 extends through and is rotatable in the top 2 of the casing. The shaft 34 also extends through and is rotatable in a horizontal arm 37 of the bar 20, Fig. 1

Four horizontally disposed wheels mounted one above the other have their hubs 38, 39, 40 and 41 respectively fastened to the shafts 34, 24, 21 and 5, the hubs 39, 40 and 41, being fastened to the upper projecting portions of their respective shafts, Fig. 4.

The rims 42, 43, 44 and 45 of said wheels are of difierent diameters, the lowest rim 42 being the largest in diameter, the rim 43 being next largest and the top rim 45 being the smallest in diameter. Spokes 46 connect the hubs with'the rims of the wheels.

Fastened to the periphery of each of the rims 42, 43, 44 and 45 are L shaped members 47,v the fastening means comprising screws 48 which extend respectively through the members 47 and enter the adjacent rims.

The wheels supporting the L shaped members 4'7 comprise supporting means for display members comprising circular bands 49, 50, 51 and 52, which differ in diameter, diminishing in diameter from the bottom one to the top one, and are respectively independently removably mounted in the return bend lower end portions of the L-shaped members 47 fastened to the peripheries respectively of the rims 42, 43, 44 and Suitable display matter may be provided on the outer sides of the bands 49, 50, 51 and In the drawings such display matter cemprises vehicles in the form of trains 53, 54, 55 and 56 inscribed on the peripheries of the bands 49, 50, 51 and 52 respectively. These trains respectively face in the directions of revolution of the bands on which they are inscribed.

By the arrangement of the gearing described, if the motor revolves the shaft 5 clockwise, as viewed in Figs 2 and 3, the bands 49 and will revolve in a like direction such that the trains 53 and 54 will'travel to the right, Fig. 1, and the bands 50 and 51 will revolve in the opposite direction, so that the trains 55 and 56 will travel to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1.

By having the gears 15 and 16 of like diameter, and the gear 23 larger than the gear 22, the wheel carrying the band 51 will travel at greater speed than the wheel carrying the band 52. By having the gear wheel 26 larger in diameter than the gear wheel 36, the wheel carrying the band 50 will revolve at greater speed than the wheel carrying the band 49.

Thus the train 54 will travel faster than the train 53, and the train 55 will travel faster than the train 56.

This arrangement will efiect a simulation of trains running on a four track railway system, thus enabling the device being used as an attractive advertising medium for a railway company.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as many modifications, within the scope of the. appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. 2

What I claim is 1. In a display device of the kind described, two supports rotatable about the same vertical axis, two circular bands of different diameters respectively carried by said supports and independently removable therefrom and each having display matter on its periphery,

and means for rotating said supports at different rates of speed.

2. In a display device of the kind described, two circular bands of differentdiameters, each having display matter on its periphery representing a vehicle, the vehicle representations facing in like directions, two supports rotatable about the same vertical axis and respectively removably supporting said bands concentrically therewith, and means for rotating said supports in a like direction and at different rates of speed and in the direction in which the vehicle representations face.

3. In a display device of the kind described, two circular bands of different diameters, each having display matter on its outer periphery representing a vehicle, the vehicle representations facing oppositely, two supports rotatable about the same vertical axis and respectively supporting said bands concentrically therewith, and means for rotating said supports respectively in the directions in which said vehicle. representations face.

4. In a display device of the kinddescribed, two vertical telescopically related shafts, the inner one being extended above the outer one, two supporting members respectively fastened one above the other to said shaft-s, two circular members respectively carried by said supporting members, and means for rotating said shafts at different rates of speed.

5. In a display device of the kind described, vertical shafts telescopically related; each inner shaft projecting abovethe next outer one, means for rotating one of said shafts, driving means connecting the last named shaft with the other shafts, supporting members fasten-ed one to the outer shaft and the others fastened respectively to the projecting portions of the inner shafts, and display members respectively carried by said supporting members and provided each on its periphery with display matter.

6. In a display device of the kind described, vertical shafts telescopically related, each in ner shaft projecting above the next outer one, means for rotating one of said shafts, driving means connecting said shafts, supporting members fastened one to the outer shaft and the others respectively fastened to the projecting portions of the other shafts, and display members respectively carried by said supporting members and having respectively peripheral representations of vehicles facing in the directions of revolution of the display members which carry them.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH JOHNSON. 

